Portable refrigerating unit



June 6, 1950 SOLOMON 2,510,527

PORTABLE REFRIGERATING UNIT 7 Filed Aug. 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l I NV EN TOR.

ESheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. '7, 1947 INVENTOR. [7 0/7 f. SoZoman ATTDRNEYB H. F. SOLOMON PORTABLE REFRIGERATING UNIT June 6, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 7, 1947 m INVENTOR.

Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE REFRIGERATING UNIT Harry F. Solomon, Macon, Ga.

Application August 7, 1947, Serial No. 766,933

1 Claim.

This invention relates to freezer units and more particularly to a unit adapted to be placed in an automobile trunk compartment, trailer or used on camp sites where there is no electricity available for the operation of the refrigerating unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary refrigerating plant and freezer box which will be operable by a gas engine and wherein when the refrigerating temperature is reached the gas engine will be automatically shut off by a thermostat having a switch in the ignition circuit of the engine.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a refrigerating unit particularly adapted for transport and for camps and other places wherein no electric current is available, which is of simple construction, easy to transport, inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of my refrigerating unit.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the refrigerating compartment and on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the refrigerating equipment compartment and looking upon the compressor and gasoline engine for operating the same.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the thermal control switch and of the wiring circuit extending between the ignition plug of the engine and the ground.

Referring now to the figures, l represents a supporting frame on which is mounted a cooling compartment H and refrigerating equipment indicated generally at I2. The cooling compartment comprises heavy insulated walls having a metal exterior l3 and a metal interior ll. In the interior, there may be disposed any of the foods or liquids to be kept cool. Behind the interior wall I4 is a coil of pipe I through which a refrigerating medium, such as freon or other suitable refrigerating gas, is extended. At the top of the compartment is a heavy insulated cover l6 which is raised to gain access to the compartment II. The cover is hinged to one end of the compartment as indicated at H.

The refrigerating equipment includes a compressor l8 and a gas engine l9 connected to the compressor through a flange coupling 2|. The gas engine l9 has a fan 22 to blow air across a condenser 23. The engine I!) is started manually. The refrigerating medium will be passed to the coil l5 through a thermal expansion valve after first passing through a dehydrator and 2 strainer unit 25. The dissipated medium will return through pipe 26 to compressor I8.

Extending into the compartment H is a thermal element 21 connected to a thermal control switch 28 which has a wire 29 adapted to extend to ignition plug 3| of gas engine l9, and which has a ground connection 32. A bellows 33 is operated by the fluid extended from the thermal element 21. As the bellows 33 is expanded, switch 28 will be closed. As the refrigerating compartment is cooled to a predetermined temperature, the engine 19 will be stopped by breaking the ignition circuit thereof.

Over the refrigerating equipment l2 there is extended a hood 35 which is hinged to the top of the refrigerating compartment H as indicated at 3B. This hood can be raised toward the cover IS. The arrangement is such that both the hood 35 and the cover Hi can be raised simultaneously or one left down while the other is raised. It may be advantageous during the hot weather to keep the hood 35 in a raised position.

Having thus set forth and described the nature of my invention, what is claimed is:

A portable refrigerating unit comprising a frame, a refrigerating compartment connected to the'frame, refrigerating equipment connected to the frame adjacent to the compartment and connected to the same to extend refrigerating medium thereto, a cover at the top of the refrigerating compartment, and a hood hinged to a wall of the compartment and adapted to extend over the refrigerating equipment on said frame, whereby to provide a refrigerating unit which is compact with all the parts mounted on a single frame, and said refrigerating equipment comprising a compressor secured to the frame, a gas engine coupled to the compressor to drive the same, a fan driven by the engine, a condenser disposed on the frame adjacent the fan of the engine whereby air will be extended over the same, and said gas engine including an ignition plug, a switch connected to the ignition plug and to the ground for the engine, a thermal element extending into the cooling compartment and connected to the switch for the operation of the switch when the temperature within the refrigerating compartment has been lowered to a predetermined extent, and the operation of the switch causing the grounding of the ignition current to stop the engine.

HARRY F. SOLOMON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,932,696 Heydthausen Oct. 31, 1933 1,943,964 Hulse Jan. 16, 1934 2,053,206 Sargent Sept. 1, 1936 

